From the Canada desk:
A few weeks ago, the House of Commons passed Bill C-38, the bill to sanction same-sex marriage, 158-133. Late Tuesday night, the more heavily Liberal Senate, our appointed upper house, passed it 47-21. And late Wednesday afternoon, Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin, standing in for Governor General Adrienne Clarkson, gave the bill royal assent. Canada thus becomes the fourth country — after Belgium, the Netherlands, and Spain — to sanction same-sex marriage.
For more on this, see my reflections at The Reaction. And if this issue interests you, I’ve written about it previously:
- June 2: Canada to push ahead with same-sex marriage.
- June 30: Paul Martin’s Liberal government wins on Bill C-38.
In addition, I’ve written about other gay and lesbian issues here:
For the sake of full disclosure, let me say that I’m not gay but that this is a human-rights issue that is close to my heart. And I must say that I’m incredibly proud to be a Canadian when I reflect upon what my country has just accomplished.
Update: Alberta, Canada’s most conservative province, has issued its first marriage license to a gay couple. Meanwhile, the Vatican has predictably denounced the legalization of same-sex marriage in Canada. See here for more.